Chapter 863

Su Yang and Chen Bo exchanged a glance, and said, "Ah, we were just discussing how high the elevation is here."

Chen Bo said, "Listen to what he said; he was just eavesdropping on you."

That made Li Lingyu blush again.

Su Yang said, "Enough, can you be a bit more serious and discuss the real business for a while? This time, County Magistrate Li has been admitted to the standing committee; that's the organization's endorsement and the people's trust. Once on the standing committee, the responsibilities and burdens increase. Normally a newcomer would have an adjustment period, but there's no time for that here; you have to get straight to practical work."

"Tomorrow morning the standing committee will convene, likely to discuss personnel matters, and also the road‑construction proposal we support."

Before he finished speaking, Li Lingyu said, "Don't worry, I know what to do; I will definitely unite under …"

Su Yang said, "Alright, alright, alright, let's not talk like this here. I understand the sentiment and keep it in mind; we're all working for the development of Lieshan County. As long as we focus our efforts and truly act for the benefit of the common people, we'll live up to the black silk hat on our heads."

"I guess you'll hear these words until your ears grow calluses, but I can't help saying them. This time, both the Municipal Government and the Department Head of the Organization Department have given us their fullest support. Yet our future work cannot always wait for others to help; we must exercise our own initiative."

"The situation in Shuanggou Town is more complicated than elsewhere. Although someone has taken over the Twin Ditch Large Koji Winery, you still need to keep a close eye on it. Those two claim to be from Dahua Investment Co., but they are actually overseas Chinese, and their true backgrounds haven't been fully investigated."

They say they're constructing a building and have already broken ground, and they won't let anyone meddle in what's inside. So on the surface you don't need to negotiate much with them, but behind the scenes keep a tighter watch.

"As for the other dairy plant, I intend to locate it in Shuanggou Town since its transportation links are better. My plan is to turn Shuanggou Town into an economic hub; besides a livestock farm, I also plan a planting base focusing on medicinal herbs such as licorice, angelica, and astragalus."

"Of course, this presumes the climate here is suitable for growing those herbs. I've already sent someone to negotiate with General Xie's side; they'll respond soon. If it works out, we'll need several hundred mu of land for planting, which will be an important task for you later."

"In the end, I'm just worrying idly now; ultimately these matters will probably be decided by County Magistrate Zhao and the future Secretary. But for such industrial placement, I hope it will still be in the area you're responsible for, at least ensuring a healthy business environment."

Su Yang had his reasons for saying that; once the dairy plant and the entire planting base are up and running, it will take at least a year or two, and whether he'll still be here then is uncertain.

But for these two industries to develop healthily, a capable and energetic Town Party Committee Secretary is needed. An ordinary Town Party Committee Secretary wouldn't suffice; they'd just nod yes or shake no at the standing committee. Li Lingyu is different—she has the backing of the Municipal Party Committee's Organization Department Head, so even if Zhang Jiangbo comes down in the future, he won't force anything against Li Lingyu.

He believes that although Zhang Jiangbo likes to pick fruit and is targeting him, he's still clear‑headed; he can't be swayed here, nor can he clash with the Municipal Party Committee's standing members. Moreover, Su Yang knows that Zhang Jiangbo's main focus will inevitably be on the county.

In the city, although his title sounds like Deputy Secretary, local officials despise those parachuted in directly from Jingcheng; they may show some outward respect, but behind the scenes it's different. Zhang Jiangbo knows this, so he won't act arbitrarily nor forcefully intervene.

Li Lingyu nodded heavily, "Don't worry, I'll definitely develop Shuanggou Town properly and follow your plan to the letter."

Chen Bo asked, "If we're not building an industrial park, why place enterprises in Shuanggou Town? If it goes wrong, they might oppose us."

Su Yang said, "It's the issue we mentioned before: borrowing a chicken to lay eggs is fine, but the chicken might fly away and the eggs break someday. Only by cultivating our own industries can we maximize local benefits. The enterprises in the industrial park don't really help our employment—first, they're too specialized; second, the entry barriers are high. Our locals' education and work experience can't match theirs. Planting and livestock farming are different; those will involve our own farmers."

They have a natural foundation in planting and livestock; with a bit of scientific guidance there'll be no problem. Moreover, I still want a two‑pronged approach: the industrial park should expand in scale, but Shuanggou Town's development must not be left behind. When Shuanggou Town becomes an economic hub, years later Jincheng City will surely mention it. Of course, the publicity department also has work to do on this front."

Chen Bo said, "In my view, the Organization Department should be unrestrained, not bound by rigid rules, and should not limit talent development. Frankly, you should be made County Magistrate, or even County Party Committee Secretary, that wouldn't be excessive. Why be a leader? To promote local development, to create more wealth for the common people. This whole seniority‑based ranking thing leaves me speechless."

Su Yang said, "The organization's staffing principles are fine; senior comrades are experienced, while the young can be restless and make mistakes. I've heard that in recent years the Organization Department has been promoting younger cadres, which is great for us. Eat, then drink—oops, I've gone off‑topic; we were originally celebrating County Magistrate Li. Come, raise your glass together."

The three then chatted about some off‑beat daily life and popular grassroots jokes. Su Yang suddenly realized that Li Lingyu usually seems shy, but actually tells jokes more freely than Chen Bo. It really let those two female comrades loosen up; I alone was a bit hard to keep up.

Early the next morning, as Su Yang arrived at the office, Ma Su knocked and entered: "County Magistrate Su, good morning. The standing committee meets at 9 a. m.; County Magistrate Zhao asked me to come and inform you."

Su Yang surveyed the woman for a moment; although she didn't match Chen Bo and was somewhat behind Li Lingyu, she was still a top‑notch grassroots official.

This time, although he didn't become the Government Office Director, moving from a township Deputy Secretary to Deputy Director of the Government Office means he actually exercised the director's authority, which is a big step forward.

"Oh, okay, thank you, I'll be there on time."